Island



C. AUGENSTEIN ET AL March 27, 1926.

CHAIN Filed Dec. 9. 1926 60/11 iuye/z ,1205 eff Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL AUGENSTEIN, or GRANSTON,'AND ROBERT voenn, or PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNORS To AUTOMATIC corn 01mm COMPANY, A FIRM corrrosnn on nnwm r. m. SPEIDEL AND ALBERT R. SPEIDEL, BOTH or nnenwoon, RHODE ISLAND.

CHAIN.

Application filed December 9, 1926. Serial No. 153,529.

This invention relates to an improvedconstruction of chain or bracelet formed of a plurality of extendible links and the Ob ect of this invention is to construct such a chain or bracelet having outer guide links formed of sheet stock folded into the desired shape and an inner slide link provided with a hook-shaped portion by which it may be readily connected toand disconnected from the next adjacent link of the bracelet.

A still furtherobject of the invention 18 to fold the stock of the guide link so as to provide a broad-front wall, side walls and a rear wall with a longitudinal opening therein, the side walls at one end of this link being connected by a hook engag ng cross bar and at the opposite end of the link the rear wall portions are provided with inwardly extending abutment portions against which one end of the operating spring acts for the purpose of pressmgthe slide link to contracted position in its guide link.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a slide link formed into elongated band shape and having one relatively broad arm with a hook formed adjacent one end thereof, and the other or hook closing arm of the band being resilient and relatively narrow and arranged to slide in the space found in the rear wall of the guide link, and to lie flush with the face thereof to complete its bearing wall and side edges of this arm being also provided with inwardly turned flanges which serve to limit the extent of its hook opening motion and to also provide lateral guides for each of the operating springs. 1

With these and other objects in'view, the

invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully de-' line H of Figure 3.

Figure 4 is a section of this guide link on 5 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the slide link showing the narrow arm of the band as provided with inwardly extending edge flanges.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of this slide link.

Figure 7 is a central sectional view of this slide link showing the resilient arm as engaging the under surface of the hook preventing it from opening outwardly.

Figure 8 is a sectional view showing a plurality of slide links in partially extended position in the guide links.

Figure 9 is a sectional edge view showing the links of the chain in the position illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a section on line 101() of Figure 8.

Figure 11 shows the hook of the slide link with its tongue depressed to engage the cross bar on the next adjacent guide link.

It is found of advantage in the construction of bracelets of this character to provide a guide link of sheet stock, the blank of which is folded. to provide a broad front face with narrow edge walls and having inwardly-extending rear wall portions, the edges of these walls being spaced apart to provide a longitudinally-disposed guide slot therein, and to provide an elongated band shaped slide member having a hook formed adjacent one end thereof, the front arm of the band being formed of a broad plate to slide in the guide link and close the space be" tween the links when in extended position: also to provide the rear arm of the band somewhat narrower than the front arm and of a width to fit into the longitudinal channel or space in the rear wall of the guide link and preferably set substantially flush with the face thereof to complete the bearing wall of this guide link and also to fold the edges of this resilient arm of the hook band inwardly to limit the extent of the hook opening and also to provide lateral guiding walls for the two springs which act upon the link units and press them towards closed position; and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment of my invention and showing one means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the guide link, the blank of which is formed from sheet stock and subsequently folded to provide a broad, front face 11 for the reception of suitable ornamentation, por- V tions of which iront parts are bent back "prof viding relatively narrow side walls 1-2 and edges of these side walls are turned inwardly toward each other leaving a longitudinally disposed space 13 between them. The edges of these side walls at one end of the link are preferably connected together by an integral ba Hand a the opp i n f thi link i rear wall portions 15 are provided with lin gers 16 which'are adapted to be bent inwardly to provide abutments for the springs pres.- .ently des rib d- Ano her elemen in this link unit is a slide link member 17 which is preferably formed in elongated band shape, the front arm of which is ,of a width to lit and slide in the guide link between the edge walls 12 thereof as best shown in Figure 10, and one end of this broad arm or plate turned .up as at 1-9 into hook form, the opposite arm 20 of this band shaped link is vfle ible and s sub t ntia y narrower th n the front arm 18 thereof, this rear arm being of a width to fill the longitudinal space 13 in the guide link ispreferably set flush with 'the rear wallportions 15- thereof to complete a full bearing surface for the bra e e on the arm of the we e The forwardenfl .21 of this arm 20 is arrang d t ex end b n th h edg '23 f h hook to prevent it from opening outwardly ztheiside edges of this resilient arm are pr ded with. inwardly e en i g p or fl nge 12 h sa e be ng o a d pt l ss th th ful sp ce be een the w arms 1 and 20 of the band ;to permit the resilient a m 2 o sp ing nwa dly s igh -1y ju suff cien to open t e hook and at he same tim the e flange s r e t imi he p ng a tion ,of this a m s0 t p ev n ee d nt engagement of the hook from its engaged ,part. 7

In assemb ing h pa ts, this l de l k is positioned in the guide link by simply sliding one With t e eth r- Th sp ings .25, preferably two in number, are then positioned one on either side of the int-urned flange of t is arm 2 "lthes p ngs ar p e se and the fi g 1. ar the tu ne tnwandly to hold Ithe springs in position between them and the rear wall 26 of the slide link, th in a d y n d fl ng 2 ser i g to nicely guide these springs in the Links to h d th m in p eper w rk ng al g nt, an the springs serve to act upon the link ,elements to press them toward closed position. After these link units have been so assemb d, it i enly n es ry to ext d the slid member of the units slightly to successively attach the hook portion 20 thereof to the QIQS abe 14:;01 he en e -the n x adja guid l nk her yde a he y conn t g th links into a series of any desired number.

'The foregoing description is directed sole- 1y towards the construction illustrated, but

we desire it to be understood that we reserve the privilege of resorting to all themechanical changes to which the device is susce tible, the invention being defined ,and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

We claim p 1. A bracelet structure comprising 7 a series of extendible link units, each havin a guide link fo rmed of sheet stock folded to provide a broad front plate having narrow 'side walls with "inturned portionsforming parts of a rear wall with a s ece'between the Wall pa s, .abend he p li kheving a pair of oppositely disposed arms sl'idable in said guide linkone of said arms'being shaped t m h ok, e other arm ing s ien to close the hook, said resi'lient arm having inwardly tulfnediedge flanges and being bsitioned flush with the-rear wall partsoi the guide link and slida'ble therebetween, spring m ns o m ng the l nk f s d u fi s contras ed position, an a me b o the dj e n 'e d of th gu de "link to whi h h hook of the slide link "is detacliatbly connected.

2 A bracel t s ru ture comprising eri ef ex en bl links, each hav ng a guide in with a road front wall and sid all a d a rea We' having a ong tud n y di posed central 0. ling therei an e ng t d ban shaped ide lin ha ing a ek'a one e d, he hook .elesing arm efth b nd b ing res l ent and a anged to li .fliish wi an s ide in th opening in the a wall .of the guide link said arm {having abutment and the fold of said slide and v guid by sa d side flanges, s id flanges al rvi g to limi -th e tent of the hee'k opening motion of said resilient arm,

3- br celet s ructu e so rising aeen e of extendible link units, each? ving a guide link formed ,of sheet stock folded to provide a br adf rei .plate and relati ly perw id a s with in rned-pen io s eit ning parts of a rear wall with a space hetween he p ts, a longated ben sheped s i link avi g a pair .of oppos ely di pose arms on f g eatel' width tha the other, the broad arm havin one end formed into hook shape and slida 1y guided between the side walls of the guide link, the narrower arm of the band being resilient ,and' positioned to lie flush with the rear wall parts and serving to close the hook and to slide in the space therebetween said narrower arm having inturned spring guiding side flanges forming channels between them and the adjacent edge walls of the guide link, spring abutment fingers on the ends of said rear wall portions and a spring in each channel engaging said abutment fingers and the fold of said slide band link to contract the links of each unit.

4. A bracelet construction comprising a series of extendible link units, each having a guide link formed of sheet stock folded to provide a broad front plate having narrow side walls with inturned portions forming parts of a rear wall with a space between the wall parts, a band-shaped slide link having a pair of oppositely disposed arms slidable in said guide link, one of said arms being shaped to form a hook, the other being resilient to close the hook, said resilient arm having inwardly turned edge flanges and set in position to slide between the rear wall parts of the guide link, abutments carried at one end of the guide link, springs interposed and guided between the edge flanges of said slide link arm and the side walls of said guide link and engaging said abutments and the fold of the slide link, and a member on the adjacent end of the guide link to which the hook of the slide link is detachably connected.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

CARL AUGENSTEIN. ROBERT VOGEL. 

